Monday, September 7, 2009

Sure to rise

I see Philip Pullman has written a book arguing that thewhole idea of the risen Christ was cooked up by theapostle Paul, who saw in the life of Jesus—a relativelyobscure Jewish rabbi—the basis on which he mightbuild a whole new religion. It doesn't invalidate thereligion in question to say that this is how it began, butalready the bishops are huffing and puffing, saying thatthere is no scriptural authority for Pullman's argument.I look forward to the book, The Good Jesus and theScoundrel Christ, because I'm one of those who werecaptivated by Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, buthe's by no means the first to advance the idea that Paulwas basically a brilliant PR man for Christianity. As Iremember it, in Nikos Kazantzakis's novel The LastTemptation of Christ (memorably filmed by Scorsese)Jesus doesn't die on the cross but marries and has afamily, discovering to his great relief that he doesn'thave to bear the sins of all humanity and can just get onwith being an ordinary joe. One day he comes acrossPaul in the marketplace preaching the resurrected Christto the people, like a huckster selling patent medicine.Hang on, says Jesus, you can't go around telling peopleI died on the cross and rose again—look at me, I'm here,I'm married with kids, I'm not the Messiah! To whichPaul, indicating the number of converts he's alreadymaking, says, sure, but that's not what they want to hear...they want something big to believe in, and I'm giving itto them. Yes, it's a lie, but just look at their faces—theylove it! Now get out of my way and let me get on with it.